Archive for the 'Arizona Diamondbacks' Tag Under 'Angels' Category

Angels rookie Taylor Featherston discussed his first career home run with Fox Sports José Mota after Thursday's 7-1 victory against the Diamondbacks in Phoenix.

Featherston homered to left-center off of D-backs starter Allen Webster in the third inning. Featherston hit 16 home runs in Double-A last season. He is now three for his last nine at bats following an 0-22 slump.

When he returned to the dugout after his career milestone, his teammates gave him the silent treatment, acting as though nothing had happened. Eventually, they gave in and congratulated the rookie infielder.

When second baseman Johnny Giavotella homered two batters later, he received the same treatment.

Arizona then replaced Webster with reliever Josh Collmenter, who allowed a two-RBI single to the first batter he faced, left fielder Efren Navarro (second video). Navarro brought home Trout and Pujols for his second and third RBIs of the year. Freese advanced to third on the play.

The Angels had a little fun with their young teammates shortstop Taylor Featherston and second baseman Johnny Giavotella after they each homered in the third.

With one out in the inning, Featherston hit his first career home run off of Diamondbacks starter Allen Webster.

When Featherston returned to the dugout after his career milestone, his teammates gave him the silent treatment, acting as though nothing had happened. Eventually, they gave in and congratulated the rookie infielder.

Featherston is now three for his last nine at bats following an 0-22 slump.

Two batters later, Giavotella launched another solo homer to left field to put the Angels up 2-0. It was Giavotella's third home run of the year, a career high for him in a single season.

In the fifth inning of the Angels' game in Phoenix Wednesday a Falcon caught a grasshopper in mid air, then feasted on it while perched on the netting behind the plate.

Members of the Diamondbacks' broadcast team believed the bird to be an American kestrel, which is the smallest North American falcon.

According to National Geographic, "the American kestrel is usually found in close proximity to open fields, either perched on a snag or telephone wire or hovering in search of prey."

This "open field" was no doubt a little different than the bird's usual haunts, but it was able to find some prey regardless. And the netting behind home plate made due despite the noticeable lack of telephone wire inside Chase Field.

For the second-straight inning, the Angels had a shot at a big inning but had to settle for scratching across a single run.

In the sixth, the Halos had runners on second and third with no outs and American League home run leader Albert Pujols at the plate. Pujols couldn't provide any fireworks this time but managed to push across a run with a deep ground out to short to score right fielder Kole Calhoun.

The run brought the score to 3-2 Arizona.

Pujols nearly beat the throw at first but was called out by a hair. Angels manager Mike Scioscia thought about challenging the play, but decided against it, perhaps due to his poor luck with replay reviews lately .

It was Pujols' 37th RBI of the season, two behind Mike Trout for the team lead.

Down 3-0 in the fifth with two on and no outs, the Angels were hoping to carve into the Diamondbacks' lead, but they were only able to scratch at it, scoring one run as catcher Chris Iannetta grounded into a double play.

Left fielder Matt Joyce scored on the play to put the Angels on the board. Second baseman Johnny Giavotella was forced out at second.

Batters are not accredited with and RBI when a run scores on a double play. It was Joyce's 12th run scored this year.

The play ended D-backs starter Chase Anderson's career-high scoreless innings streak of 151/3 innings, though officially, the MLB rounds all scoreless innings streaks to down to the nearest complete inning.